Two picks down, two tackles off the board. In a very close vote, Central Michigan's Eric Fisher edged Oregon's Dion Jordan with 40 percent of the vote to Jordan's 37 percent to get the nod as the No. 2 pick in the Fan Mock Draft. With Fisher and Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel off the board, we turn the page to the Oakland Raiders and the third overall pick ...
With holes to fill on both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Raiders are in position to take whomever they deem to be the best player available. Could they possibly take a third tackle in a row with Oklahoma's Lane Johnson? That's probably unlikely because of the presence of left tackle Jared Veldheer, but Johnson could also swing to the right side if need be. A tackle-needy team could also offer to trade up to No. 3 to grab Johnson, the lone remaining tackle prospect considered to be "elite."
What about quarterback? The Raiders acquired Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason, but the presence of Flynn didn't stop the Seahawks from drafting Russell Wilson last year and it shouldn't stop the Raiders if they think Geno Smith can be their quarterback of the future.
But most analysts believe the Raiders are likely to focus on the defensive side of the ball with their first-round pick, and for good reason after a tremendous amount of turnover on what was already a bottom-half defense in 2012. Defensive tackle especially is an area of focus in Oakland, where Richard Seymour retired and Tommy Kelly was released. Florida's Sharrif Floyd has been the most-linked player to the Raiders at No. 3 and he could very well be the pick. An impressive interior pass rusher, Floyd could help boost a Raiders defense that finished 30th in the league last season in sacks per pass play. For that matter, the aforementioned Jordan would boost that pass rush as well and he could reside atop the Raiders' draft board come Thursday night. Sticking at defensive tackle, Utah's Star Lotulelei would make sense for Oakland as well if they deem him to be a better prospect than Floyd.
The Raiders also brought in a pair of free agent cornerbacks this offseason in Tracy Porter and Mike Jenkins, but Alabama's Dee Milliner could intrigue general manager Reggie McKenzie as a long-term solution on the outside. Finally, is there any chance the Raiders channel the ghost of Al Davis and select the most dynamic wide receiver in the draft, Tavon Austin? That certainly doesn't seem likely, but with Oakland, you never know.
So who will be the pick with the Eagles waiting in the on-deck circle? You make the call ...
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